Wednesday's Lesson on Unity and Equality Review

WEDNESDAY January 4 In Unity and Equality However clear the Bible is that God is one (echad), the Bible also talks about the plurality of Persons. Scholars and Bible students through the millennia have seen in many Old Testament texts powerful evidence of the plural nature of God. This truth, as with many others, is more fully revealed in the New Testament. Read Gen_1:26-27. How is Gods plurality revealed here? This pairing of plural and singular when referring to God also occurs in Gen_11:7-8 at the building of the tower of Babel. God Himself speaks again. The Lord is mentioned, yet He speaks as one of a group (Us). The assumption here is that God is speaking to God in a plural group based off the word Elohim. It is argued that this word is plural and because Elohim says let Us then God must be plural. The truth is this word is used as a singular being not as a plural despite Elohim being a plural word. Read the Old Testament and simply watch the context which will show you Elohim is a singular being rather than plural. There are many cases in the OT that shows Elohim used with a singular being. Notice: Exodus 7:1 So the LORD said to Moses: See, I have made you as God (Elohim) to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. Gen 23:6 Hear us, my lord (Abraham): thou art a mighty (Elohim) prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. It is true Elohim is plural but in the Hebrew language it has what is called plural of majesty which denotes greatness. We see this in the case of Abraham and Moses as we certainly wouldnt consider them to be multiple persons now would we? 1 Kings 11:33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess (elohim) of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god (elohim) of the Moabites, and Milcom the god (elohim) of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. In this passage we see separate individual gods where Elohim is one being rather than a plural of beings. I dont know of any evidence that says each of these gods was actually a plural of elohim beings. In reality these gods dont exist. Mark 12:29 Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God (Theos), the LORD is one.

Deut 6:4 `Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God (Elohim), is one Jehovah; The Old Testament uses the singular version "El" for God over 200 times and the New Testament uses Theos which is singular. The pair above clearly shows that Elohim is interchangeable with the singular Theos. Psalm 45:6-7 Thy throne, O God (Elohim), is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God (Elohim), thy God (Elohim), hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Heb 1:8-9 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God (Theos), is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God (Theos), even thy God (Theos), hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. In the above passages there is Elohim the Father calling His Son Elohim but would we say that Jesus is more than one being or that the Elohim saying this to Jesus is more than one being? Of course not and the Greek version of this uses the singular Theos once again. This clearly shows Elohim is used for singular beings. An argument will usually be made for a plural Elohim using Gen 1:26 And God (Elohim) said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. On March 26th 2011 we had a seminar at our church and the speaker claimed this is God speaking in the fullness of the Godhead. He said the best interpretation of this is to be a council amongst the three persons of the Godhead. He first showed many other interpretations and shot them down as unbiblical. One of these interpretations he shot down as false was And God (Elohim) said to Jesus Christ, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. He said we could only make that based on an assumption. I think the NT makes it clear this is actually truth rather than an assumption as Jesus created everything and fortunately I dont have to make an assumption on that as it is the correct interpretation according to the SOP. But when God said to His Son, "Let us make man in our image," {EW 145.1} God, in counsel with his Son, formed the plan of creating man in their own image. {Ellen G. White, RH 24 Feb 1874.} See also James White: The Father and the Son were one in man's creation, and in his redemption. Said the Father to the Son, "Let us make man in our image." And the triumphant song in which the redeemed take part, is unto "Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever." {J. S. White, The Law and the Gospel, p. 1. 1870} And again:

The inexplicable Trinity that makes the Godhead three in one and one in three, is bad enough; but that ultra Unitarianism that makes Christ inferior to the Father is worse. Did God say to an inferior, Let us make man in our image? {J. S. White, Review & Herald, November 29, 1877} A simple read through the OT will show you that Elohim is a singular being rather than a plurality of beings that make up one Elohim. Read Isa_6:8. In what ways do you see the plurality of the Lord revealed there, as well? All we know is that there is a plural of beings in the scenario rather than making the assumption that Lord here refers to multiple beings that make up Lord. Its the same situation as Gen 1:26. In the New Testament, how does Peters sermon at Pentecost exalt Jesus within the Godhead? (See Act_2:33.) Peter, a devout monotheistic Jew, and thus a believer in One God, proclaims the full divinity of Christ, now in heaven. In his letter to the Jewish exiles of the dispersion, Peter again communicates evidence of the triune nature of God. (See 1Pe_1:1-3.) Acts2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. In Acts 2:33 Peter says that Jesus is at the right hand of a singular God not plural. Here is 1 Peter 1:2-3: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, We simply see a singular God who is the God and Father of Jesus Christ and we are to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit which is also represented as the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is the life of Jesus or the Spirit of Jesus. Nothing in these passages make these three one God as the only being called God is the Father in the passage. How does Paul include the plurality of God as he describes the process of salvation? 2Co_1:20-22. (See also 2Co_13:14.) 2 Cor 1:20-22 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Again we see that God is a singular being rather than plural. There is also a Christ and a Spirit but they are never said to be one God. These are the three powers from Heaven working for our salvation. In fact Eph 4 makes it very clear: 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith,

one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. A singular Holy Spirit, a singular Lord Jesus, and a singular God. The context of the passage shows one is used in a strict mathematical sense. Let them be thankful to God for His manifold mercies and be kind to one another. They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit--the Spirit of Christ--is to bring unity into their ranks.--9T 189. (Ellen White){PM 156.3} 2 Cor 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. God is again shown to be a singular being who brings us love, and because of Jesus we have grace. We have communion OF the Holy Spirit not WITH the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the vehicle or means by which God and Christ fellowship with us. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23) We certainly need the communion OF the Holy Spirit. (1 John 1:3) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Back to the study. With our finite minds, fallen as well, this teaching is not easy to fully grasp. But so what? We are dealing here with the nature of God, the Creator of the universe. How foolish it would be to think that we could fully understand Him, especially when, as humans, we dont fully understand pretty much anything. Dwell on even the simplest thing you can think of. How many aspects of it remain beyond your grasp? How much more so with something as grand as the nature of God Himself? The church is trying to get the reader to feel comfortable with all the assumptions being read into these passages that have been given by playing the Mystery card. It seems that no explanation of the Trinity is complete without this language. Brothers and Sisters this lesson is trying to say it is ok to speculate on God because He is above our comprehension. I would suggest we should take the opposite path and not speculate because He is beyond our comprehension. John 17:3 says we are to know the only true God and Jesus Christ for our salvation so lets not complicate God. The Triune God is a Mystery you cant fully grasp and that I would agree on. I praise God that the truth in which I believe is no mystery as God has plainly spoken of Him and His Son through His word. Here is the Mystery God of the Catholic church: "The mystery of the trinity is the central doctrine of Catholic faith. Upon it are based all the other teachings of the church."- (Handbook for Today's Catholic, p.16) And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Rev 17:5)

The 144,000 know their God in clarity: And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. (Rev 14:1) Some manuscripts say having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. None of them say the Holy Spirit is written on their foreheads. We are certainly sealed by the Holy Spirit as He lives in us but this happens when we know the Father and Son. Should we go the distance the Trinitarians have gone in putting this three in one God speculation together? "The revelation of Himself that God has given in His word is for our study. This we may seek to understand. But beyond this we are not to penetrate. The highest intellect may tax itself until it is wearied out in conjectures regarding the nature of God; but the effort will be fruitless. This problem has not been given us to solve. No human mind can comprehend God. Let not finite man attempt to interpret Him. Let none indulge in speculation regarding His nature. Here silence is eloquence. The Omniscient One is above discussion. {Ellen G. White, 8th Volume Testimonies, page 279, The essential knowledge} I finish this study with a word from Brother Waggoner: But when the doctor [Briggs] states that Seventh-day Adventists deny the divinity of Christ, we know that he writes recklessly. We are fully persuaded in our own mind that he knows better; but be that as it may, the statement has been made so often by men who professed to know whereof they were speaking, that many have come to believe it; and for their sakes, as well as for the benefit of those who may not have given the subject any thought, we purpose to set forth the truth. We have no theory to bolster up, and so, instead of stating prepositions, we shall simply quote the word of God, and accept what it says. (E. J. Waggoner. Signs of the Times, March 25th 1889, article The Divinity of Christ) Heres a link to all the reviews for this weeks lesson: http://www.scribd.com/collections/3421637/Corey-McCain-s-SDA-2012-TrinitySabbath-School-Lesson-Reviews